Friday, October 21, 2011

On this date, October 21, 2010, Dr. Jim Rucker passed away after 2 year battle with cancer.

Dr. Rucker taught at the Junior High and High School levels, as well as, Post-Secondary, prior to joining the faculty at FHSU in the 1980's. While at FHSU, he won a number of awards and was the Chair of the Accounting and Information Systems.

Dr. Rucker was a fine man and an advocate for students and faculty. Everyday, I am reminded of the many things that he stood for and believed in. We will never forget his humor, dedication, or his presence in the classroom.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is excited to host its third and final Career Technical Education (CTE) Drive-In Workshop for 2011 on Monday, November 7 , 2011, Webster Conference Center, 2601 North Ohio, Salina, KS. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m., and our program will be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Regardless of school size, properly developed career cluster pathways enable students to meet both graduation and career ready requirements. Learn how to integrate academics and CTE to benefit ALL students in this one day workshop.

KSDE would also like to thank Kansas Association of Educational Service Agencies (KAESA) and other members for giving two discounted registrations to the http://www.smokyhill.org/vnews/display.v/ART/4c87b3ca37004">February Conference as door prizes. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Drive-In Workshop. (You must be present to win!)

Each year, the National Business Education Association holds its "Annual Conference" in one of the NBEA Regions across the country. This year, the conference will be in Boston. In addition to NBEA, the teacher-education group (NABTE) hold a research conference prior to NBEA.

In addition, the student organization, Pi Omega Pi, holds its conference in conjunction with NBEA.

This came to me by way of an email chain...The Agriculture and Business students at Leeton High School (just south of Warrensburg) operate a student run grocery store that opened in January 2009--the Bulldog Express. Far more than a mere school store, this is a community centered grocery that truly serves the town. It has drawn quite a bit of national attention and has been written up as a exemplary project in textbooks. This past week they were visited by ABC World News and Chris Cuomo. Chris and two producers were in Leeton from Monday through Wednesday taking many shots and interviews. The series will be "Bringing America Back" and will be aired sometime this week on the ABC Evening News with Diane Sawyer. The advisers just received word that the story is to air tonight at 5:30 on ABC World News Tonight.

I had the opportunity to see a presentation on their grocery store this summer and was quite impressed—it is wonderful to see this program receiving national attention.

They are also suppose to have a visit from CBS Early Show people sometime next week with a report to air probably the following week.

If you have a chance, tune in tonight at 5:30 on your local ABC affiliate.

EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW’S JOBS ACT’ WILL HELP STUDENTS BECOME COLLEGE AND CAREER READY

Alexandria, VA – As Congress considers how best to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as No Child Left Behind, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) have partnered to introduce important legislation to help more students become college and career ready.

The legislation, introduced today in the House as the “Education for Tomorrow’s Jobs Act,” and expected as an amendment next week during the Senate mark up of ESEA, would allow school districts to use Title I ESEA funds to better integrate academics with career and technical education (CTE) through coursework and networks of schools. The bill would encourage school districts to link secondary school programs, including both middle and high schools, and align secondary and postsecondary education. Further, the bill would leverage a variety of school, employer and community partners.

Registration is now open for FAT Tuesday: Business Updates. On the first and third (FAT) Tuesday of month, Kirk Haskins, KSDE education program consultant – business, will share information on business education in Kansas via Microsoft Office Live Meeting with teleconference audio. October 18th session will be 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. The remaining dates are

October 18 (1:00 – 2:00 p.m.) November 1 (3:00 – 4:00 p.m.)November 15 (3:00 - 4:00 p.m.)December 6 (3:00 – 4:00 p.m.) From creating a new Career Pathway Program of Study Application (CPPSA) to maintaining a current CPPSA, these updates will benefit first time users and those that need a refresher on Kansas Business, Marketing and Management clusters. Each update will also include time for dialogue and questions concerning your school, district and area.

Please register at http://events.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=644. All sessions will be conducted via Microsoft Office Live Meeting with teleconference audio. After you register, directions for accessing Live Meeting will be sent via E-mail. Please direct questions regarding the Business Updates to khaskins@ksde.org and Live Meeting and registration questions to tkirtdoll@ksde.org.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Jodi DeArmond(Chapman High School and a FHSU-BUED Alum) is now responsible for the Kansas Student Technology Leadership event held at that state university in Manhattan.... (I can't think of the name at the moment.---hahaha)

The competition is for middle school and high school students to show their technology/multimedia skills.

I have known Jodi for a long time, she is a true professional and truly committed to providing quality opportunities for ALL Middle School and High School students.

To be honest, I know some of our Alumni had bad experiences at KSTL in the past. I have NO DOUBT that Jodi will meet (and most likely exceed) your expectations for this event.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Whether you are an experienced teacher or a teacher in-training, you Professional Development is essential. Start thinking Podcasts.

Historically, we relied on either traveling to a conference, reading Journals/magazines, listening to guest speakers, or taking a graduate level course that met in some sort of fashion throughout the semester to provide us with our professional growth opportunities.

Today, we have a wealth of information at our fingertips. I have started a list of Podcasts that I would highly encourage you to subscribe to and to listen to as a part of your personal professional development. Some will focus on administration, some on technology, and some on education. All in all, I believe these will help you build a more holistic view of education, while expanding your own horizons.

My Podcast List is directly below my reading list (Delicious). Both are located on the right side, above Victor E. Tiger.

After a year-long vacancy, we have completed a faculty search and have selected Dr. James Ward as a new faculty member in Business Education. Dr. Ward has an extensive background in US Foreign Service and most recently with Shell Oil where he was actively involved in both Training/Development, as well as, Corporate Communication.

Dr. Ward will be leading the expansion of the Corporate Communication concentration.

Frequently, I run across articles that I find interesting and think they might be of interest to Business Ed "types".

Using Delicious, I have created a link in the upper right corner of this blog to my "fhsubued" account, you can easily check my reading list out by using this link, or you can even "follow" me, if you have an account.

Seldom are these stories long, they all relate to education. Take some time to read through the items posted.

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Kansas Association of Education Service Agencies (KAESA) would like to extend a special invitation to undergraduate students in CTE Teacher Education programs interested in attending the Career & Technical Education Annual February Conference. This year’s conference is scheduled for February 7-8, 2012, at the Wichita Airport Hilton, 2098 Airport Road, Wichita, KS.

The conference will begin on February 7th with a keynote presentation from Robin Harris, Assistant Director for Careers, Standards & Assessment Services at the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). Robin will share the latest information on CTE in Kansas and at the national level.

Conference Breakout Sessions will include the following topics: CTE 101 A Basic Understanding of CTE in Kansas; Career Clusters & Programs of Study; Career Counseling; Kansas Career Pipeline; Teaching CTE Classes for Proficiency Credit in Academic Areas; Components of a Rigorous Program of Study (RPOS); Partnerships with Business & Industry; Registered Apprenticeship; Regional Advisory Committees; Articulation Agreements; End of Pathway Assessments; Wind Energy Education; and much more!

The normal conference registration rate is $160. CTE Teacher Education students will be provided a discounted rate of $80 to attend the full conference, or $40 to attend one day of the conference. Attached is a flyer with additional details and special registration codes to take advantage of the discounted rates.

We appreciate your assistance in sharing this opportunity with your students. Please contact marie.hall@greenbush.org with any questions.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

On behalf of our friends in Foreign Language Area, great opportunity for business students!

This is an announcement that was posted recently by the U.S. Department of State. Please pass the information on to your students. Thank you.

Youth Exchange Scholarships for U.S. High School StudentsThe U.S. Department of State announces scholarships for American high school students to study abroad:The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) offers merit-based scholarships to U. S. high-school aged students for overseas study of seven critical foreign languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajik), Russian and Turkish. The NSLI-Y program is designed to immerse participants in the cultural life of the host country, giving them invaluable formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. Applications for summer 2012 and academic year 2012-2013 programs are due November 3, 2011. Visit www.nsliforyouth.org for more information.The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad Program offers scholarships to American high school students to spend a semester or an academic year in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Thailand, and Turkey. This post 9/11 program focuses on increasing understanding between people in the U.S. and countries with significant Muslim populations. The application deadline is January 11, 2012. Visit the YES Program’s website for more information.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) was established in 1983 to celebrate German-American friendship based on common values of democracy. Secondary school students live with host families, attend local schools, and participate in community life in Germany. Young professionals (undergraduates) and high-school graduates of vocational studies ages 18-24 study and participate in practical training. Scholarships are now available for academic year 2012-13. Prior German language skills are not required. For more information visit USAGermanyScholarship.org.

The American Youth Leadership Program offers opportunities for American high school students and educators to travel abroad on a three- to four-week-long exchange program to gain first-hand knowledge of foreign cultures and to collaborate on solving global issues. Several different organizations implement this program, and each has organized an academic and experiential educational exchange focused on dialogue and debate, leadership development, and community service. Recruitment areas and application deadlines vary, so please check the American Youth Leadership Program website for more information.

sent byPhyllis FarrarEducation Program ConsultantWorld Languages and ESOL (KELPA)Careers, Standards, and Assessment Services785-296-1891pfarrar@ksde.org